Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos throws a pass against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday in Cincinnati, Ohio. ANDY LYONS, GETTY IMAGES

FANTASY PICKUP OF THE WEEK

RB Marcel Reece, Raiders

The Raiders' top two tailbacks, Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson, suffered high ankle sprains Sunday. Neither practiced Wednesday. Enter Reece, a fullback/H-back who excels at catching the ball out of the backfield. Reece had eight receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown last week.

Ryan is having his best season, by far, and he's the quarterback of the team with the best record in a QB-driven sport. He also engineered the Drive of the Year, from his own 1-yard line, to beat Carolina in Week 4. He's becoming the franchise quarterback he was drafted to be.

Runner-up: QB Peyton Manning, Broncos

Manning is back, and then some. He leads the league in passer rating (108.6), completion percentage (69.5) and yards per attempt (8.23; more on this later). He's on pace for 40 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. He has transformed Denver from a Tim Tebow-led circus to a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

DEFENSIVE MVP

Winner: DL J.J. Watt, Texans

In just his second season, Watt has emerged as the most dominant force in football. Not only does he lead the league with 10.5 sacks, he's also tied for eighth with 10 passes defensed; no other lineman has more than six. According to Pro Football Focus, Watt has been the best player in the NFL this year on either side of the ball.

Runner-up: CB Charles Tillman, Bears

Tillman is having a career year at age 31, a rarity for the position he plays. But what Tillman's doing is rare. He leads the NFL with seven forced fumbles, including four last week at Tennessee. He also has two of Chicago's seven interception returns for touchdowns. That's the most through eight games by any team in NFL history.

OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Winner: QB Andrew Luck, Colts

Robert Griffin III has better numbers. So does Russell Wilson. But neither has led his team to a 5-3 record – a team that was the worst in the NFL last season. Luck threw for a rookie-record 433 yards in last week's victory over Miami. He has 2,404 yards at the halfway point – the same total as ex-Colt Manning.

Runner-up: RB Doug Martin, Buccaneers

Someone drafted Martin for three of his four fantasy teams (pointing thumb at self). That same someone traded him away in one of them three weeks ago (now making sad face). The first-rounder from Boise State's incredible surge, including 251 yards last week, has him third in the league rushing race. He's Ray Rice 2.0 for Greg Schiano.

Mike Mayock kept talking up Jones entering the 2012 draft, and, per usual, Mayock was right. Jones leads all rookies with six sacks. He also has three forced fumbles and two passes defensed. After years of ignoring their pass-rushing needs, the Patriots did the right thing by trading up for Jones.

Runner-up: CB Casey Hayward, Packers

The Packers also traded up, into the bottom of the second round, to draft Hayward. Boy, are they glad they did. The Vanderbilt product is tied for third in the league with four interceptions. He has defended nine passes in all, including two last week, when he also forced a fumble.

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Winner: RB Adrian Peterson, Vikings

Peterson might not be human. He tore his ACL and MCL on Christmas Eve – of 2011 – and not only hasn't missed a game but leads the league in rushing. This isn't just the comeback of the year, it's possibly the greatest comeback of all time.

Runner-up: QB Peyton Manning, Broncos

There was just as much doubt about Manning's ability to play this season, or ever again, after multiple neck surgeries and a year out of football. Even if he did play, would he have sufficient arm strength? Manning has put all those doubts to rest. His average per attempt is almost a full yard more than Aaron Rodgers'.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Winner: Bruce Arians, Colts

All Arians has done since replacing leukemia-stricken Chuck Pagano is lead the Colts to a 4-1 record. Indianapolis won two games last season and had 15 rookies and first-year players on its opening-day roster. Arians has managed his rookie quarterback beautifully and his team's emotions flawlessly.

Runner-up: Lovie Smith, Bears

Talk about managing personalities. Smith already had grumpy Jay Cutler, then added volatile Brandon Marshall to the mix. They have thrived under the steady Smith, who's also the league's premier coach when it comes to teaching his players how to take the ball away.

SUPER BOWL XLVII PREDICTION

Packers over Broncos

Poor Peyton. Runner-up for MVP, Comeback Player of the Year and in the Super Bowl? Hey, things could be worse. A year ago, he didn't know if he'd play again, let alone play well. The Packers were the best team in the league last season before flopping in the playoffs. The Super Bowl XLV champs are still the most talented team – if healthy. They aren't right now. But Super Bowls aren't won in November.

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